Garment hanger guard



Feb. 16, 1965 H. a. TILLERY 3, 1

GARMENT HANGER GUARD Filed Sept. 17, 1965 F IGI Fl 7 IN VENTOR.

HUBERT B. TILLERY WM e W A TTORNE Y8 a that creases and wrinkles are notformed in the 3,169,681 GARIVIENT HANGER GUARD Hubert B. Tiiiery, KansasCity, Ma, assignor to Tillery Container Company, Kausas'City, Mm, apartnership v 7 Filed Sept. 17, 1963, SerINo. 309,552

4 Claims. (1. 223-98) V The present invention relates to an improvementin the mounting or securingof a guard or cover upon a wire hanger forsupporting thereon garments such as skirts,

pants and the like.

The use of lightweight transparent plastic bags for covering orenclosing cleaned garments, supported on a conventional wire hanger, hasbecome quite wide spread There is disclosed in Patent 3,037,675 issuedJune 5, I

1962, of which the present applicant is a ctr-inventor, a guard or coverhaving the end portions thereof formed to follow the contours of theends'of 'a wire garment'hanger and thus extend over a portion of theinclined sides .or

shoulder segments of the hanger. The guard or cover as disclosed in saidpatent has proven to be very satisfactory and successful when used inconjunction with garment bags formed of a very thin film of plasticmaterial. This success has been attributed to the shapeand configurationof the ends of the guard, in that, the thin plastic film bags slide overthe ends of the guard and hanger in a very easy and forthright mannerwithout tearing or snagging the bags. Such success is not achievedwhenconventional guards or covers are employed wherein the ends of theguard either project slightly beyond or terminate at the point where theinclined shoulder portion merges with the horizontal rod of the hanger.

While the guard or cover as disclosed'in Patent 3,037,-

675 has greatly enhanced the use of thin plastic bags for covering andprotecting cleaned garments supported on a conventional wire hanger, ithas been found that said guard or cover has, at times, a tendency tomove or rotate about the horizontal bar portion of the hanger when agarment is being placed thereon. This movement or rotation of the guardquite often results in an improper positioning of the garment upon theguard. That is, the rotation or movement of the guard upon the hanger asa garment is being'placed thereon causes the 'arcuat e-shaped vcentralportion of the guard to moveto one side or the' other so'that thegarment is not properly positioned thereon. As

a result, the guard is not performing its primary function of providinga relatively arcuate shaped surface for receiving and properlysupporting thereon a garment to insure garment as it is supported uponthe hanger. I

The guard "of the present invention constitutes an im provement upon theguard as disclosed in Patent 3,037,675.

3,1 dddi Patented Fehifi, 1965 Another. object is to provide a guard orcover having end portions folded in amanner to extend up and cover 7 aportion of the inclined shoulders of a'conventional wire garment hangerwith locking means providedin said folds for engaging the horizontalportion of the hanger to insure the retention of the guard thereupon.

Another object is to provide a guard or cover having folded end portionsconfigured to extend over and up a portion of the inclined shoulders ofa conventional wire garment hanger with notches being formed in thefolds of said end portions to receive the horizontal portion of thehanger to lock said guard'ag-ainst rotative movement upon said hanger.

Still another object is to provide a guard or cover having transverselyextending creases provided in the end portions thereof withnotchesformed in said creases in a plane normal thereto for receiving andretaining the horizontal rod portion of a conventional wire garmenthanger. L

Still other objects are to provide a guard that is readily attachableand retain'a-ble upon a wire garment hanger which provides relativelysmooth and substantially rounded end portions and which is economical ofmanufacture.

Other objects and advantages, more or less ancillary to the foregoing inthe manner in Whichall of the various objects are realized will appearin the following description, which, when considered in connection withthe accompanying drawing, sets forth the preferred embodiment of theinvention.

Referring to the drawing wherein the preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated: g

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view with the guard of the presentinvention applied to a garment hanger;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view showing a port-ion of the Q guard andhanger, the view being taken on the plane 2' V of FIGURE l; 7

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of an end portion of a stillfurther modified guard.

Referring to FIGURE'I of the drawing, there is shown 'a conventionalwire garment hanger formed from 'a single strand of wire and having asuspending hook 10 with inclined shoulder portions or segment 12 thatare connected by a horizontal rod orbar portion 14-, FIG- The presentguard or cover is so designed as to insure" its proper retention uponthe horizontal bar portion ofa wire garment hanger and still permit theready insertion into a plastic bag of a garment supported on said hangerwithout said plastic bag being torn or ripped.

One of the objects of the present invention is'to provide a guard havingend portions configured to follow the contours of the inclinedshoulder-portions of a wire garment hanger with means to secure saidguard against rotative movement on said hanger. q

The inclined shoulder portions or segments material such as thick paperstock, molded paper pulp having an adhesivebinder orstifiener agent,cardboard or the like. The relatively stiff material is formed in a jsuitable die or mandrel, while in a slightly moist or dampenedcondition, to produce the guard 18 which is curved. or of 1 arcuateconfiguration in' cross-section. When so formed, the guard '18 isrelatively rigid and stiff, yet it is, to a small degree, pliable andflexible in a direction transverse to its longitudinal axis so that itwill have a'tendency' to flare outwardly in a transverse directionwhenever a garment is placed thereon. The outwardly flaringaction,however, is relatively small and only tends to slightly increasethe area which forms the garment supporting surface as the material fromwhich it is made spaced parallel longitudinally extending side edges 20that terminate in rounded or curved ends 22 which are provided withslight indentationsorinotches 24 formed on' the longitudinal axis of theguard,*FlGURE 4.

In forming the guardlS the top and bottom surfaces of each end portionthereof are subjected to the action of cooperating die membersto'produce the rounded ends 22 and notches 24' while at the same time,forming the diagonal'creases or score lines 26. As shownin FIG- URE 4,the diagonal score lines 26 have one end terminating adjacent the notchor indentation 24 in the end ofthe guard 18 withthe other endterminating at approximately the point where the sideedgeZl) merges withthe rounded endZZ of the guard. In addition to the diagonal score lines26 each end portion .of the guard 18 is formed with an arcuate shapedscore or crease line 28. The ends of the score lines 23 intersect andterminate at the diagonal score lin'es26so that the score lines 26 and28 define asegmental portion 3%} with the arcuate score line ,28constituting the base of said segmental portion. Each end portion of theguard 18 is formed with a pair of longitudinally extendingslits 32 thatare disposed in spacedparallel relation toone another'and arranged onopopsite sides ofthe longitudinal axis of the guard. The slits 32intersect the arcuate-score line 23 and extend approximately thesamedistance oneach side thereof into the segmental portion 3% and thebody portion of the guard 18. The slits 32;.define therebetween a tongueor segment portion 34 which is connected at one end to the body of theguard and at the other end to the segmental portion 39. j

' After. the guard '18 is'forrned in the die or mandrel and the scorelines 2d and 28 together -with slits 32 have been formed in the endportions of theguard ltl'the curvedendsZZ. are subjected to a foldingaction on the score lines 26. The ends 22 are bent inwardly towards oneanother so as to lie beneath and along and adjacent, to theunder-surface of the guard and thus define in conjunction withoneanother a guideway '35, as shown in FIGURE 3. When the end portions 22of the guard have beenfolded inwardly along the score lines 26, the

segmental portions 30 are then folded or. bent upwardly,

with respect to the guard, along the arcuate score lines .28. The actionof bending the segmental portions 3% in an upward direction about thearcuate score lines 28 causes the portion of the guard on oppositesidesof the score line'28 to be depressed or flexed'downwardly with theexception of the tongue or segment 34 of the guard which tends to buckleor be flexed upwardly with respect to the'upper surface ofthe guard 18in, the manner as clearly shown in FTGURE 5. The bending or'depressingof the portions of the guard contiguous to the arcuate crease line 28producesin'said guard a notch or slotiefi,

FIGURE 5,'which is defined by'the. spaced parallel. slits 32.

The guard 18 0f the present invention is readily mounted or placed upona Wire garment hanger by simply inserting one ofthe inclined shoulderportions 12 of the hangerin the guideway 36 .at one end of the guardandthen-moving the guard down until the notch or slot 38 engages thehorizontal rod 14. At the same timethe guideway 36 atthe other end ofthe guard 18 isplaced upon the other inclined shoulder portion12 of thehanger andthen the entire guard is pushed down into eng agement with thearcuate or curved segments 16 andthe mounting of the guard upon thehorizontal rod portion 7 engagement with the bar 14 due to the addedweight of l the garment, thus insuring that the notches 38 encompass andengage said bar to restrain any movement of 7 horizontal bar. 14 so thatsaid bar will be moved into the J notches orslots '38. The notches 38amof a Width'com- I4 insures the'proper positioning and retention of the iguard upon 'the garment hanger so that it will not turn segmental endportion 36.

the guard with respect to the bar. I

The guard shown inFIGURES 6 and 7 is identical in all respects withtheguard shown. in- FIGURES .1 through 5 with the 'exception of the segmentor tongue portionfid so that corresponding parts in FIGURES 6 and 7 havebeen identified with the same reference numerals as applied to likeparts in the disclosures in FIG- .URES. lthrough 5. In FIGURE 6, thesegment 134 has been cut at one end to provide. a transverse slit 136 sothat said segment 134 defines a tonguenr tab portion which has one endsecured to. and forming a part of the segmental portion 39. The segmentor tab portion 134 i is adapted to extend through the transverse slit136 and notch .138 that are formed in the guard 13 and to lie along theunder surface of the body portion of the guard llwhere it engages thehorizontal rod portion 14. of the wire garment hanger when the guard 18is placed thereon. 'In'FlGURE 7, the segment or tab portion 234 isprovided with a transverse slit 236 which causes said tab'portion to besevered from the segmentalportion 36 to define a tongue or tab portionthat is carried by the body portion of the guard .18 and arranged toexten'd through the transverse slit 236 and notcl123ll with the free endof said'segrnent or tab portion underlying th It is to be'not ed thatregardless of the manner hr which the segment or V tongue portion isformed 'in either FIGURES 5, 6, or 7, the" end: or flexing of the guaralong the crease line 28 will result in the. portions of the.

, guard on opposite sides of said crease line being forceddownwardly-towards the horizontalrod ld of the garment hanger.Thenotches or slots '38, FIGURE 5, and 133m FIGURE 6 and 233 in EEGURE 7constitute a means for property positioningfandlocking the guard uponthe horizontal rodportion of the garment hanger whereby garments placedupon said guard will be properly positioned thereon. At the same timethat the notches or slots areengaging'the horizontal rod portion .14 ofthe garmenthanger to ensure the locking and retention of theguardth'ereon, the upturnedendportions of the guards willengagethecurved segments 15 with said segments being positioned within theguideway 36 so that the guard will present a smooth outer surface thatwill readily facilitate the'positioning of a thin pliable plastic bagover the garment hanger without fear of said bag being ripped or tornwhile being so placed thereon.

Although'the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailedcharacter, in order'thatthe invention may be completely set forth, itis-to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to berestrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of parts andmodifications of detail may be resorted to without departing from thescope or spirit; of the invention as herein claimed. i

I clairnr i 1,. A guard for a wire garment hanger wherein the guard isformed of relatively stiff material and'conrprises an elongated bodycurved-transversely of its length, said body formed with indentations ateach end thereof coinciding with itslongitudinalaxis, said body providedat each end portion thereof with a pair of crease lines emanating fromthe end of said' body adjacent to said indentations and arranged indiverging relation tothe the ends of said arcuate scoreline-intersecting said'pair of crease lines and defining therewith asegmental portion in each end of said body, a pair of el ngated slitsprovided in said body in spaced parallel relation to one another onopposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said body, said slitsintersecting said arcuate score line and having one end thereofterminating in said segmental portion, the sides of said body adjacenteach end being folded inwardly towards one another along said creaselines with said folded portions being spaced from one another and lyingadjacent the under surface of said body to define a guideway for a wiregarment hanger, each segmental portion and folded side portions beingbent upwardly with respect to said body along said arcuate score line toflex downwardly the portion of the body contiguous to said arcuate scoreline, said downwardly flexed portion of the body defining in conjunctionwith said slits a notch for receiving a wire garment hanger.

2. A guard for a wire garment hanger wherein the guard is formed ofrelatively stiff material and comprises an elongated body curvedtransversely of its length, said body formed with indentations at eachend thereof coinciding withits longitudinal axis, said body provided ateach end portion thereof with a pair of crease lines emanating from theends of said body adjacent said indentations and arranged in divergingrelation to the longitudinal axis of the body, each end portion of saidbody provided with an arcuate shaped score line arranged to extendinwardly towards the center of the body, the ends of said arcuate scoreline intersecting said pair of crease lines and defining therewith asegmental portion in each end of said body, a pair of elongated slitsprovided in said body in spaced parallel relation to one another onopposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said body, said slitsintersecting said arcuate score line and have one end thereofterminating in a transverse slit in said segmental portion to define atongue element having one end secured to said body, the sides of saidbody adjacent each end being folded inwardly towards one another alongsaid crease lines with said folded portions being spaced from oneanother and lying adjacent the under surface of said body to define aguideway for a wire garment hanger, each segmental portion and foldedside portions being bent upwardly with respect to said body along saidarcuate score line to flex downwardly the portion of the body contiguousto said arcuate score line, said downwardly flexed portion of said bodydefining in conjunction with said slits a notch for receiving a wiregarment hanger with said tongue element projecting across said notch andinto said guideway to provide a substantially smooth and continuousupper surface for said body. v

3. A guard for a wire garment hanger wherein the guard is formed ofrelatively stiff material and comprises an elongated body curvedtransversely of its length, said body formed with indentations at eachend thereof coinciding with its longitudinal axis, said body provided ateach end portion thereof with a pair of crease lines emanating from theend of said body adjacent said indentations and arranged in divergingrelation to the longitudinal axis of the body, each end portion of saidbody provided with an arcuate shaped score line arranged to extendinwardly towards the center of the body, the ends of said arcuate scoreline intersecting said pair of crease lines and defining therewith asegmental portion in each end of said body, a pair of elongated slitsprovided in said body in spaced parallel relation to one another onopposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said body, said slitsintersecting said arcuate score line and having one end thereofterminating in a transverse slit in said body to define a tongue elementhaving a free end with the other end secured to said segmental portion,the sides of said body adjacent each end being folded inwardly towardsone another along said crease lines with said folded portions beingspaced from one another and lying adjacent the under surface of saidbody to define a guideway for a wire garment hanger, each segmentalportion and folded side portions being bent upwardly with respect tosaid body along said arcuate score line to flex downwardly the portionof the body contiguous to said arcuate score line, said downwardlyflexed portion of said body defining in conjunction with said slits anotch for receiving a wire garment hanger with said tongue elementprojecting across said notch and beneath said body to provide asubstantially smooth and continuous upper surface for said body.

4. A guardfor a wire garment hanger wherein the guard is formed ofrelatively stiff material and comprises an elongated body curvedtransversely of its length, said body formed with indentations at eachend thereof coinciding with its longitudinal axis, said body provided ateach end portion thereof with a pair of crease lines emanating from theends of said bodyadjacent said indentations and arranged in divergingrelation to the longitudinal axis of the body, each end. portion of saidbody provided with an arcuate shaped score line arranged to extendinwardly towards the center of the body, the V ends of said arcuatescore line intersecting said pair of crease lines and defining therewitha segmental portion in each end of said body, a pair of elongated slitsprovided in said body in spaced parallel relation to one another onopposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said body, said slitsintersecting said arcuate score line and defining a tab portion, thesides of said body adjacent each end being folded inwardly towards oneanother along said crease lines with said folded portions being spacedfrom .one

another and lying adjacent the under surface of said body to define aguideway for a wire garment hanger, each segmental portion and foldedside portions being bent upwardly with respect to said body along saidarcuate score line to flex downwardly the portion of the body contiguousto said arcuate score line, said downwardly flexed portion of said bodydefining in conjunction with said slits a notch for receiving a wiregarment hanger with said tab portion overlying said notch to provide asubstantially smooth and continuous upper surface for said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS3,037,675 Tillery et a1 June 5, 1962

1. A GUARD FOR A WIRE GARMENT HANGER WHEREIN THE GUARD IS FORMED OFRELATIVELY STIFF MATERIAL AND COMPRISES AN ELONGATED BODY CURVEDTRANSVERSELY OF ITS LENGTH, SAID BODY FORMED WITH INDENTATIONS AT EACHEND THEREOF COINCIDING WITH ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, SAID BODY PROVIDED ATEACH END PORTION THEREOF WITH A PAIR OF CREASE LINES EMANATING FROM THEEND OF SAID BODY ADJACENT TO SAID INDENTATIONS AND ARRANGED IN DIVERGINGRELATION TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE BODY, EACH END PORTION OF SAIDBODY PROVIDED WITH AN ARCUATE SHAPED SCORE LINE ARRANGED TO EXTENDINWARDLY TOWARDS TE CENTER OF THE BODY, THE ENDS OF SAID ARCUATE SCORELINE INTERSECTING SAID PAIR OF CREASE LINES AND DEFINING THEREWITH ASEGMENTAL PORTION IN EACH END OF SAID BODY, A PAIR OF ELONGATED SLITSPORVIDED IN SAID BODY IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER ONOPPOSITE SIDES OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID BODY, SAID SLITSINTERSECTING SAID ARCUATE SCORE LINE AND HAVING ONE END THEREOFTERMINATING IN SAID SEGMENTAL PORTION, THE SIDES OF SAID BODY ADJACENTEACH END BEING FOLDED INWARDLY TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER ALONG SAID CREASELINES WITH SAID FOLDED PORTIONS BEING SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER AND LYINGADJACENT THE UNDER SURFACE OF SAID BODY TO DEFINE A GUIDEWAY FOR A WIREGARMENT HANGER, EACH SEGMENTAL PORTION AND FOLDED SIDE PORTIONS BEINGBENT UPWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID BODY ALONG SAID ARUCATE SCORE LINE TOFLEX DOWNWARDLY THE PORTION OF THE BODY CONTIGUOUS TO SAID ARCUATE SCORELINE, SAID DOWNWARDLY FLEXED PORTION OF THE BODY DEFINING IN CONJUNCTIONWITH SAID SLITS A NOTCH FOR RECEIVING A WIRE GARMENT HANGER.